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Anthony Yarde is set to face the winner of the unification bout between Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr.
WBC and IBF World Light Heavyweight Champion Beterbiev will face WBO Champion Joe Smith Jr. on June 18. The Beterbiev vs. Smith Jr. fight is being promoted by Top Rank.Yarde is promoted by Frank Warren, who has a good working relationship with Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions.
Frank Warren said:
"I spoke to Bob Arum about it... We want to do that fight. We’ve booked the date, we have talked about it. We’ve booked the date the 22nd of October we want to get that fight on. The winner has to fight Anthony Yarde. That has to happen. The WBO has ordered it."
Watch the full interview here:
Anthony Yarde is the WBO mandatory challenger
In his last fight, Anthony ’The Beast from the East’ Yarde (22-2) knocked out Lyndon Arthur (19-1) in a rematch between the pair to become WBO mandatory challenger. In their first fight, Yarde suffered his second professional loss. Yarde was defeated via split decision by Arthur.
Watch Anthony Yarde knock out Lyndon Arthur here:
The first defeat of Yarde’s career came against then WBO World Light Heavyweight Champion Sergey Kovalev (35-4-1). Yarde was a massive underdog in the fight which was a homecoming for Kovalev in his native Russia. Yarde put up a very impressive showing, wherein he hurt Kovalev in the eighth round of the bout. Kovalev looked to be out on his feet but, miraculously, the Russian survived. Yarde then gassed out before being stopped in the 11th round.
Aside from Kovalev, Anthony Yarde has managed to knock out every opponent that he has faced. The potent punch power that Yarde possesses means that he would be a challenge for anybody in the division.
Promoter Frank Warren has gone ahead and suggested that Yarde could unify the entire light heavyweight division after he faces the winner of Beterbiev-Smith Jr. The other champion is Dmitry Bivol.
Bivol last defended his WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight Championship against Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez is set to face Gennady Golovkin next, and Bivol seems set to face Joshua Buatsi.
The promoter of both Dmitry Bivol and Joshua Buatsi, Eddie Hearn, has said the fight will take place.
A clash between the winners of the two bouts would be immensely difficult to make. Eddie Hearn does not get on well with Frank Warren. As such, over the years, the promoters have not been able to come together to make a fight between Brits Anthony Yarde and Joshua Buatsi.
If Yarde does beat the winner of Beterbiev-Smith Jr, he will be in the premier position at light heavyweight.
